Prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,560 to Clickner describes a cheese-flavored coating which comprises spray dried cheese powder and a fat such as refined coconut oil or hydrogenated coconut, cottonseed, sesame, or corn oil. The coating may comprise 15-20% cheese powder, and is said to be substantially solid at room temperature, having a consistency similar to butter but can be readily applied to popcorn or the like by melting and then pouring or spraying. The composition does not produce a hard coating having the smooth, firm texture of a hard cheese. U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,112 to Durst, describes a food bar which contains a binder of a normally solid fat or oil encapsulated with a film-former such as non-fat milk solids, sodium caseinate, soy protein and others, referred to as hydrophilic colloids, and particulate. Cheese particles are listed as one of a number of alternative particulate foods. No example is given in the patent using cheese particles. A typical product of the patent may contain about 15 parts non-fat milk solids, about 15 parts lard flakes, and about 19 parts sucrose, the particulate food being a blend of corn flakes and wheat flakes dispersed in the binder in a ratio of about 52% particles and 45% binder.
Hoover U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,439 describes a cheese product composed of a blend of ground roasted nuts, a texture modifying fat and dehydrated cheese (which may be spray dried cheese powder), the product having a water activity below about 0.7%. The product is said to be suitable as a spread for snacks and can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration. An emulsifier such as mono- and diglyceride or lecithin may be added to stabilize the product. The texture-modifying fat is a non-hydrogenated fat in combination with hydrogenated fat, glycerides and mixtures thereof, and has a Capillary Melting Point of more than 120.degree. F. In preparing the product, the lipids, in an amount of about 5-15% of the final product, are first melted, and the nuts, in an amount of about 50-80%, and cheese powder in an amount of about 10-40%, are then added and blended into the lipids, in that order. No reference is made in the patent to confectionery properties of the product.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,168,360 to Musher, describes a fat-containing food composition which can be added to water and cooked to make a product such as gravy. The food composition comprises essentially a hard fat and a water-absorbent bodying material such as cornstarch, tapioca, gum arabic, gelatin and pectin. Spices, condiments and the like, can be intimately admixed with these ingredients. The composition is intended for addition to water or an aqueous medium to make a final product, and would not be suitable as a confection-like coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,299 to Penton describes a concentrate product which is said to be a rigid or brittle solid at room temperature and which contains a fat, oil or hard butter, emulsifier, and starch material, such as potato starch, arrowroot starch, wheat starch or rice starch. The product of this patent also contains sauce flavoring materials desired to impart a characteristic flavor, such as milk solids, cheese, dehydrated onion chips, dehydrated mushrooms, pimiento, and others. Although principal applications for the concentrate product appear to be such foods as sauces, soups and gravies, prepared by addition to water, it is indicated in the patent that the concentrate of the patent, in a hot, viscous form, can be applied to a food item by spraying, for instance, onto dehydrated potato slices passing on a belt conveyer. On cooling, it is indicated that the concentrate forms a hard coating over the slices which then may be packaged in a suitable container. Even here, the intended ultimate application, such as escalloped or augratin potatoes, is intended to be cooked from a frozen state. There is no mention of forming a confection-like coating for consumption in the marketed state, and the concentrate product of this patent would not be suitable for the preparation of confection-like coatings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,825 to Gilmartin et al describes a synthetic, chunked cheese-flavored product said to be suitable for use on salad dressings, dips, dehydrated foods and sauces. The product comprises finely comminuted cheese-flavored dry material admixed into a molten blend of hard and soft fats.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,977 to Huessy describes the formulation of edible food flavoring cubes or pellets for incorporation into dry food systems, wherein the cubes have a wheat flour, soy flour, and dry buttermilk base. Whey may also be present as a flavoring ingredient. The dry bulk ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and a fat phase, such as hydrogenated vegetable oil, is added. A water phase is then added and mixing is continued until homogeneous. The mix is extruded through a heated die and cut into pellets. The vegetable oil functions primarily to provide lubrication during the extrusion step.
Luck U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,993 assigned to assignee of the present application, describes a sauce or gravy bar adapted to be melted and mixed with water to produce a sauce or gravy for use. The sauce or gravy bars are prepared, in part, by mixing fat, flour and condiment solids together, tempering the mixture, forming the tempered mixture into a solid bar under conditions precluding complete remelting of the fat crystals, and cooling the bar to room temperature. Here again, the product would be unsuitable for the preparation of a confection-like coating.